JJT: Dak Prescott's leadership with Cowboys is no accident

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Dak Prescott's leadership with Cowboys is no accident
5:59 PM CT
Jean-Jacques Taylor
ESPN Staff Writer

FRISCO, Texas -- Dak Prescott misunderstood the question, which turned out to be a good thing.

That's because the rookie quarterback provided an answer that explained, in part, how he earned the respect of the Dallas Cowboys' locker room so quickly.

"Managing personalities," Prescott said recently when asked the most underrated aspect of being a quarterback.

“You gotta keep guys happy.”

Prescott, who’s preparing to make his first Pro Bowl appearance on Sunday, understands how to create loyalty. It's not that Tony Romo didn't, it's that most rookie quarterbacks aren't as adept at connecting with all of their teammates.

Combine that loyalty with his work ethic and performance and it enabled him to lead the Cowboys effectively.

Prescott gets it; not everyone does. And his actions seem authentic instead of manipulative because they’re part of his personality.

We're talking about a 23-year-old who sent flowers to Emmitt Smith after the death of the Hall of Fame running back's mother. He sent a birthday text to Troy Aikman.

He helped Dez Bryant work through the death of his father the day before the Cowboys beat Pittsburgh, and Bryant caught a touchdown pass.

It’s the same reason he keeps a bag of candy -- miniature Twix, Snickers, Milky Way and M&Ms -- in his locker and another stashed in the equipment room.

From time to time, he hands out candy to offensive and defensive linemen. Sometimes, simple gestures mean the most.

And why do you think Prescott lets Ezekiel Elliott pelt him with spitballs -- shot through a straw -- while he's doing interviews at his locker?

He knows how much joy it brings Elliott, who acts like everybody’s little brother.

When you connect with your teammates on a personal level, it allows you to ask them to give you everything they have at winning time.

You've given to them. Now, you're asking them to give to you.

“It’s kind of who I am,” said Prescott, when asked if he embraces being a leader.

“If we’re doing a class project, then I’m going to be the one talking and taking the lead. I might not necessarily put all of the work in the project, but I want to help and do as much as I can and get everyone going in the right direction.”

None of this is coincidence. He's always been cognizant of the importance of leadership whether it was back in Louisiana at Haughton High School or at Mississippi State.

It's the reason he earned a master’s degree in workforce solutions.

“A hundred percent, it’s helped,” he said. “I wouldn’t say that it’s the reason I am a leader, but it sharpened the iron.”

Watch Prescott work the locker room over the course of the season, and it’s clear he touches everyone on the team. He might be sitting at his locker, something Romo rarely did, talking to Elliott.

Or he might walk across the locker room and talk to Orlando Scandrick for a while. Or he might wander down to the far end and chat with Bryant.

After games -- win or lose -- you’ll see him walk by every offensive lineman and "dap them up," giving each one a few words of encouragement.

Prescott is the same guy every day, whether he’s 32-of-36 for 279 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or he throws a couple of interceptions in a loss to the New York Giants.

Already, he understands what it means to be the face of the franchise. He knows the messages he sends with his words and body language have the power to create good vibes or controversy.

He’s a young man with an old soul. He’s among the Cowboys’ leaders, and it’s not just because he’s the quarterback.

He’s earned that responsibility. Ask the players. They’ll tell you.

And it doesn’t matter whether you’re talking to center Travis Frederick, linebacker Sean Lee, Bryant or Elliott.

"You have to have him in your building to understand just how special that young man is,” scouting director Will McClay said recently on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

“I’d be kidding if I said we knew Dak was going to be this good and do what he did because we would’ve picked him in the first round.”

Prescott passed for more than 3,600 yards with 23 touchdowns and four interceptions, leading the Cowboys to a NFC-best 13-3 record. He set several franchise and league rookie passing records, and consternation concerning the club’s quarterback of the future no longer exists.

But that's not what makes him proud.

“If somebody says I’m a leader or notices the things I try to do to be a leader,” said Prescott, “it’s the ultimate compliment.

"To me, for a teammate or peer to call you a leader means a lot because they’re going to look up to you and they’re going to follow you.”
 
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